I had a diode blow out on my old trusty Seagate Barracuda 7220.7 200Gb being implemented as a cased external drive. (Image attachment included).

Now I've been reading into what can be done, but i have a few questions:

1. The drive is supposed to be functional when the diode is removed, right? (Actually it removed itself from the board when it failed permanently and i haven't dared to try it as is...) I just wouldn't want to risk any overvoltage issues possibly destroying anything further since a replacement board is not so easy to come by. I do however have a 12V power supply that came with a IDE/SATA to USB-adapter so it shouldn't cause an issue. (The damage happened with another power supply, which was oddly enough rated 12V output as well...).

2. Is there anything else that might have fried in the process? The board looks fine on both sides though, besides the pads of the failed diode as the board coating started to smoke just before i rushed to unplug it.

3. In regards of replacing the diode, anything specific that i should know about?

The HDD was coming to the end of it's service life as it started to have power issues and i was getting ready to migrate my files onto another external drive when it failed and started smoking the second i plugged it in. Now my files are stuck in it and would really appreciate if we'd get it going again for a tad longer. In my country they rip you off even worse than many other places to recover files, so that's not an option...

Make sure your PSU is producing the correct voltages at the Molex connector. Then test the PCB on its own. You don't need to replace the diode if your PSU is good. I can help you with voltage test points if you upload a detailed photo of the complete PCB.

BTW, did the "bad" PSU have a mini-DIN plug (+5V and +12V)? If so, then be very careful. The pinouts for these connectors are not standard.

The power supply used when it broke down came through a circuit board inside the case. Pic attached. The thing was plugged into a cord in which the transformer block stated to give out 12V. I think it came with the device.

I'll photograph the PCB whole when i can get to it. (now tinkering in the garage at another location...)

Oh and just to be clear (can't edit anymore the above post) the board in the image is only similar to the one used. Being stripped from anything useful before recycling. So that you know about the bent connector pins and other missing parts

Okay. Here again. The PCB in full. Also dug up my multimeter. Been a while since i've needed it.

Also checked the other power supply, the one that i've used successfully in running other hard drives as "stand-alone" with the IDE/SATA to usb-adapter and at least the wire coloring is a match with the one i used when the diode died. So there should be no trouble with pinouts, i guess?

Found the other supposedly good power supply, BUT it seems that i've ran into a tripped diode (or some other short circuit) before. Can't really remember since the thing has been sitting unused for years. The 12V section is dead, reading 0 volts. 5V gives out 5.39V (as if it matters). Must've had a shorted diode before which has blown the fuse on the transformer side.

Have to get me a new one and continue from there. Well, I was going into town anyway...

ISTM that the +5V supply is generated on the USB-SATA bridge PCB from the incoming +12V supply. This would suggest that the PSU brick is OK, but that there is an open fuse in the 12V output from the PCB.

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